QUINCY – When a nor’easter dubbed Nemo hit the South Shore with great force in February of 2013, Marshfield residents who sought shelter at the middle school brought along about 15 pets – including an iguana, goldfish, dogs and cats.

“We always incorporate animals into our emergency plan and have crates at the shelter,” said Marshfield Police Lt. Paul Taber, director of the town’s emergency operations center. “We have a list on our website for things people should bring for their pets, including vaccination certificates, medicine, food, beds. We’re very proactive in that sense.”

A new Massachusetts law will require all communities to incorporate pets into emergency evacuation and shelter plans for when severe storms and disasters strike. But many South Shore communities already accommodate four-legged residents at make-shift shelters.

Animal advocacy groups last week gathered on Beacon Hill to celebrate the passage of Massachusetts Senate Bill 1172, an act ensuring the safety of people with pets in disasters. Gov. Deval Patrick signed the bill into law earlier this spring, giving cities and towns a year to create a shelter plan for pets.

Pets have been part of Marshfield’s emergency plan for nearly a decade, after Taber sought a grant that provided the town with pet supplies, including 50 animal crates.

“If a Hurricane Katrina hits the area and homes are destroyed, you’ll have animals running all over the place,” said Taber, adding that pets also are part of the evacuation plan for Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station.

Christopher Walker, a spokesman for Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch, said the issue of accepting pets arose during Nemo, when some areas of Quincy went without electricity for more than 24 hours. He said the city allowed animals at emergency shelters, and doing so in the future “won’t be too much of an issue.”

“After an event like a major storm, we go through a checklist of what happened and what we need to work on,” he said.

Scituate also has emergency protocols in place for pets, which Fire Chief Richard Judge said are welcome at the high school which is used as a shelter during storm evacuations.

Judge said separate areas are set up for pet owners and other evacuees, since some people may have pet allergies. Animal control provides crates and kennels for the large dogs, and residents with small dogs or cats typically bring their own carriers.

“The extra large dogs typically go to Scituate Animal Shelter if there’s room because some people show up with Newfoundlands, and we can’t do that,” Judge said with a chuckle. “We recommend people make other arrangements, but when it comes down to it, we’ll take the pets, and it’s worked out well.

Page 2 of 2 - “A lot of people will not evacuate unless they can bring their pets,” he added.